DSU

"Does Crime Really Pay?
An Examination of Financial Status in Detective Fiction"

Abstract

Introduction

Does crime really pay -- not for the criminal but for the detective? A hasty, mental review of the financial status of protagonists in popular detective fiction would suggest the answer is no -- tracking crime and criminals does not pay, or at least not well.

One way to judge financial success is to rate an individual’s lifestyle using Warner’s (1960) Index of Status Characteristics. Because the lifestyle of a fictional character is generally revealed as the story or series unfolds, it’s possible to use Warner’s index to judge the financial status of fictional characters as well as their real-world counterparts. For this paper, I used Warner’s index to judge the financial and social status of some of the more enduring, private investigators in American fiction, paying particular attention to fictional characters whose series spanned more than 10 novels or at least 10 years (in the novelist’s life, not necessarily in the detective’s life). To accurately apply Warner’s index and judge their financial and social status, I read the first and last novel in the series, looking for consistency or change in financial status over time. I also attempted to reconcile fantasy and reality by comparing the social and financial status of fictional detectives with that of real-world detectives, again using Warner’s (1960) seven-tiered social class scheme as a guide.

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